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ADC 247 

Attachment 

ATTACHMENT TO ADC 247 

Revise DLMS Supplement 527R to Authorize Use of Transportation Control Number (TCN) 

with Materiel Receipt Acknowledgment (MRA) and Receipt (Supply) 

1. ORIGINATOR: 

a. Service/Agency: USAF and the Defense Logistics Management Standards Office (DLMSO)

b. Originator: HQ AFMC/A4NS1, DSN: 986-1041; USAF contractor support, phone: 

843-760-3487. 

c. Sponsored by: DLMSO, Ms. Mary Jane Johnson, MILSTRAP Administrator and proponent 

for MILSTRAP functionality under the Defense Logistics Management System (DLMS). 

2. FUNCTIONAL AREA: 

a. Primary: Supply

b. Secondary(ies): Commercial Asset Visibility (CAV) Government Furnished Material (GFM) 

supporting repair actions 

3. REQUESTED CHANGES: 

a. Title: Revise DLMS Supplement 527R to Authorize Use of Transportation Control Number 

(TCN) with Materiel Receipt Acknowledgment (MRA) and Receipt (Supply)

b. Description of Change: Revise DLMS Supplement (DS) 527R, and corresponding DLMS 

XML and DOD XML constructs, to authorize use of the Transportation Control Number (TCN) in the 

MRA transaction and in the receipt transaction. USAF identified requirement for inclusion of TCN in 

the MRA. DLMSO supports that requirement and identified additional requirement to include TCN in 

receipt transactions when available. 

c. Procedures: 

(1) Revise DOD 4000.25-M, DLMS, Chapter 13, subparagraph C13.5.3.6 (change is 

identified by red, bold, italicized text): 

“C13.5.3.6. Acknowledgement of Split or Partial Shipments. When a shipped line item (requisition 

transaction number and suffix code) is consigned as a split or partial shipment, submit DS 527R MRA

for the shipment segments as they are received. The split or partial shipment codes are part of the 

Transportation Control Number (TCN) structure in accordance with DoD 4500.9-R. Accordingly, 

reporting activities shall include the TCN in the MRA transaction when it is available. If the total 

quantity for the shipped line item is not received by the due-in date, report the missing quantity, citing 

Discrepancy Indicator Code F, in accordance with the guidance in the DS 527R MRA transaction.” 
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ADC 247 

Att 

 (2) Revise DS 527R as follows: 

Item # Location Revision to 

527R, Receipt, Inquiry, Response 

and MRA 

Reason Federal IC 

Impact 

1. DLMS 

Introductory 

Note: 

Add ADC 247 to DLMS Introductory 

note 7.

ADC 247, Revise DLMS Supplement 

527R to Authorize Use of 

Transportation Control Number 

(TCN) with Materiel Receipt 

Acknowledgment (MRA) and Receipt 

(Supply). 

To identify DLMS 

changes included in the 

DS 

No update 

needed. 

2. 2/N901/90 Add new DLMS note 2 for qualifier 

‘TG’ as follows (change identified by 

red, bold, italicized text):

TG Transportation Control Number 

(TCN) 

DLMS Note: 

1. Must use TCN with inquiries on 

delinquent MRA. 

2. Use with MRA and receipt 

transactions when available.

Authorized DLMS migration 

enhancement; see introductory 

DLMS note 5.g.

To provide for use of 

TCN with MRA and 

receipt transactions. 

No update 

needed. 

 

4. REASON FOR CHANGE : 

a. USAF CAV: The USAF CAV office stated that if the incoming shipment has a reference to 

the TCN, the TCN information is required by the CAV GFM system for MRA. 

b. DLMSO: 

(1) DLMSO supports use of the TCN with the MRA transaction to eliminate, under DLMS, 

an existing procedural void in MILSTRAP. Inclusion of the TCN supports existing MRA procedures 

which state that: “When a shipped line item (requisition transaction number and suffix code) is 

consigned as a split or partial shipment, submit DS 527R for the shipment segments as they are 

received.” The split or partial shipment codes are part of the TCN. The TCN structure can be found in 

DOD 4500.9-R, Defense Transportation Regulation (DTR) (see the following link for the DTR TCN 

appendix: http://www.transcom.mil/j5/pt/dtr_part_ii_app_l.pdf). Accordingly inclusion of the TCN in 

the MRA supports and improves the MRA process allowing the MRAs which are differentiated based 

on split/partial shipments to be identified in the transaction. Since MRAs are generally created as a 

byproduct of the reporting activity’s receipt process, DLMSO has also provided for inclusion of 

the TCN in receipt transactions, when available, as part of this change. 
ADC 247 

Att 

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(2) The need for the TCN partial and split shipment information in MRA and retail receipt 

transactions was identified and discussed in a series of Supply Process Review Committee (SPRC) 

Meetings in 2000-2001, but was never resolved. Following is an excerpt of the minutes from SPRC 

Meeting 01-1: 

“MRA Procedural Void. As noted at SPRC meeting 00-3, the increased use of partial shipments in DSS 

may result in considerable DoD processing problems, if retail receipt and MRA systems are not designed to 

react to the partial shipment coding in the TCN. Rp 7 of DI Codes DRA/DRB [MRA] provides for Service 

use as follows: "For U.S. forces shipments, enter data prescribed by the Service or Agency (e.g. code for 

controlling receipt of partial or split quantities).", however the procedures provide no definitive guidance for 

MRA reporting based on coding in the TCN. If receipt and MRA systems/procedures are not considering the 

TCN partial code, as multiple AS_ transactions are received with the same document#/suffix, but different 

TCNs due to partial shipments, when the first shipment processes, lack of due-in for subsequent shipments 

may result in associated Supply Discrepancy Reports. There may be a similar problem with trans-shipment 

activity split shipments however, unlike DSS partial shipments, we do not have a sense of the volume of 

shipments that transshipment activities split. Also of concern, are the procedures in place for DAAS MRA 

processing whereby the first MRA identified by document#/suffix may be accepted and any subsequent 

“matching” MRAs would not be recognized. Additionally, there are no provisions for reversing or correcting 

the MRA quantity. It is believed these factors have an impact on the LRT/CWT reporting process. Split 

shipments may be further complicated in that the conveying transactions (TAV/TAW) may not interface with 

the retail receiving process. DLA indicated that DSS split shipments would not reflect split code in rp 17 of 

the TCN in the AS_ transaction, but would routinely contain an "X" instead. DLMSO reiterated the request 

for the Services to provide documentation on their receipt and MRA systematic and procedural processing for 

partial and split shipments. This information is necessary to understand the extent of what we suspect is a 

systematic and procedural void. DLMSO will use the requested information in developing a proposed DLMS 

change to address the issue in the MRA procedures. The Services should be looking at the same information 

to identify/correct possible voids in their retail receipt processing.” 

 (3) This change was discussed at SPRC Meeting 07-1, May 16-18, 2007. Discussion of the 

change (PDC 246) took several paths to address related areas/impacts that should be looked at, 

however the group agreed with the change requirement for adding the TCN to the DLMS 527R to 

facilitate addressing known deficiencies. An excerpt from SPRC Meeting 07-1, for the discussion 

of PDC 246, is provided at the Enclosure. 

 (4) Comments received for PDC 246 are as follows:

Component Comment 

Army 1. Army concurs with subject change. 

2. Comments (Chief, Customer Support Division, LAISO National Business Area Lead for 

Distribution, 256-313-4424, DSN 897-4424): 

 a. LAISO, Chief, LAISO National BAL for Distribution, We concur. Since the TCN is 

relative to the Material Receipts and Acknowledgements, the Inventory Management 

Function and Supply Chain Execution Business Area will have the primary input. 

 b. IMMC, Recommend we concur. This is a proposal to include TCN in the receipt 

documentation. This proposal would require posting the receipt using the TCN rather than 

just the document number. Primarily this is supply/inventory issue. However, it would be 

advantageous to Transportation when tracking/obtaining PODs for split shipments. 

Air Force Concur 
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ADC 247 

Att 

Component Comment Disposition 

DLA Concur 

DFAS No comments 

DAASC The proposed change to the MRA document states that the 

affected systems at DAASC would be WEBVLIPS and 

MRA Reports. This change would impact more then just 

WEBVLIPS and MRA Reports. LMARS rules would 

have to be adjusted. A determination would need to be 

made as to when LMARS would close the pipeline. Our 

LOTS database tables and parsing rules would have to be 

adjusted. All systems pulling data from LOTS, both 

internal DAASC and external, would need to be notified 

and their systems adjusted accordingly. I wanted to make 

it clear that this would not be a small change for DAASC. 

Noted. See SPRC 07-1 Discussion 

at enclosure. 

5. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES: 

 a. Advantage(s): 

 (1) Provides for use of the TCN in the DLMS receipt and MRA transactions/processes 

addressing a known void for providing/considering TCN partial and split shipment code information in 

the MRA process. 

 (2) Supports USAF CAV requirement for providing the TCN in the MRA when available. 

 b. Disadvantage(s): None known. 

6. IMPACT: 

 a. Publications: 

 (1) Revise DOD 4000.25-M, DLMS, and DLMS Supplement 527R as shown. 

Corresponding changes to incorporate TCN will be made to DLMS XML MRA and receipt 

transactions. 

 (2) May require revision to supporting DOD Component publications and procedures.

b. Automated Information Systems. May require revision to DOD Component MRA reporting 

activity receipt and MRA processing systems, which do not already recognize/process the TCN, to 

incorporate use of the TCN. 

c. Defense Automatic Addressing System (DAAS). May require revision to DAAS Web Visual 

Logistics Information Processing System (WebVLIPS) and MRA report to capture the TCN and 

display multiple MRAs for partial/split shipments. 

Enclosure 
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ADC 247 

Enclosure 

Enclosure to ADC 247 

Revise DLMS Supplement 527R to Authorize Use of TCN with MRA and Receipt (Supply) 

Excerpt from Minutes of Supply Process Review Committee Meeting 07-01 (DLMSO Memorandum, 

June 29, 2007, subject: Defense Logistics Management Systems (DLMS) Supply Process Review Committee Meeting 

07-01, May 16-18, 2007, available at http://www.dla.mil/j-6/dlmso/Programs/Committees/Supply/supplyPRC.asp):

“(8) PDC 246, Revise DLMS Supplement 527R to Authorize Use of Transportation Control 

Number (TCN) with Materiel Receipt Acknowledgment (MRA) and Receipt. BACKGROUND. 

This proposed change revises DS 527R, and corresponding DLMS XML constructs, to authorize use of 

the TCN in the MRA transaction and in the receipt transaction. USAF identified requirement for 

inclusion of TCN in the MRA to support their Commercial Asset Visibility (CAV) process. DLMSO 

expanded the requirement for TCN beyond CAV to address a known void for providing/considering 

TCN partial and split shipment code information in the MRA and retail receipt process. DISCUSSION. 

Ms. Johnson indicated that the need for TCN to identify partial and split shipment information in the 

MRA and retail receipt transactions was identified and discussed in a series of SPRC Meetings, but was 

never resolved. This change supports resolution of the problem by providing the TCN in the DLMS 

527R MRA and receipt. The variable length DLMS transaction allows inclusion of data that was not 

possible under the 80 record position constraint of the MILSTRAP DI Codes DRA/DRB, D6_. One of 

the reasons behind this change is the increased use of partial shipments in the Distribution Standard 

System (DSS) which may result in considerable DOD processing problems if receipt and MRA 

systems/procedures are not considering the TCN partial code. As multiple AS_ transactions are received 

with the same document number/suffix, but different TCNs due to partial shipments, when the first 

shipment processes, lack of due-in for subsequent shipments may result in associated Supply 

Discrepancy Reports. Currently, RP 7 of DI Codes DRA/DRB (MRA) provides for Service use as 

follows: “For U.S. forces shipments, enter data prescribed by the Service or Agency (e.g. code for 

controlling receipt of partial or split quantities)”, however there is no definitive guidance for MRA 

reporting based on partial/split shipment coding in the TCN. Ms. Johnson asked the Services to identify 

what information is in RP7 of DRA/DRB transactions they generate. During this discussion it was noted 

that the partial code had been added to the 2D barcode on the Issue Release/Receipt Document (IRRD) 

(DD Form 1348-1A) by ADC 44. Discussion of this topic took several paths to address related 

areas/impacts that should be looked at, however the group agreed with the PDC requirement for adding 

the TCN to the DLMS 527R to facilitate addressing known deficiencies. ACTION: Services provide 

documentation of what information is in RP7 of their DRA/DRB transactions. DLA provide status of 

the implementation of the partial code in the 2D barcode. 

 [a] Logistics Metrics Analysis Reporting System (LMARS) and 

DAAS Logistics On-Line Tracking System (LOTS). Prior to the meeting DAASC provided 

comments to the PDC which indicated that in addition to potential changes required in the DAASC 

Web Visual Logistics Information Processing System (WebVLIPS) and MRA Reports (such as 

displaying multiple MRAs for partial/split shipments based on the TCN entry), LMARS and LOTS 

rules would have to be adjusted. This represents a significant change for DAASC. DAASC 

indicated a determination would need to be made as to when LMARS would close the pipeline. 

Additionally DAASC indicated LOTS database tables and parsing rules would have to be adjusted. 

The DLMSO Director asked who would address the LMARS impact. The DUSD(L&MR)SCI 

representative agreed it would be a DUSD(L&MR)SCI and/or DAASC initiative to address LMARS 

impact. ACTION. LMARS impact of processing MRAs for partial/split shipments by including 

the TCN under DLMS should be addressed through DUSD(L&MR)SCI/DAASC channels.”